However, the mere fact that the song’s pre-chorus refrain, “Cocaine and drinkin’ with your friends/ You live in the dark, boy, I cannot pretend,” finds the male vocalist addressing a “boy” (one living “in the dark,” no less) makes the song more matter-of-fact queer than even “I’m Too Sexy” or “Vogue.” However kitschy the song seems, Lil Nas X says it was inspired by an actual, lustful relationship with another man, one with his own self-destructive tendencies, last year during the height of the pandemic.Īfter all the kerfuffle in 2019 over the country bona fides of “Road,” Lil Nas X telegraphed almost immediately that he wasn’t interested in proving a point to Nashville. Truthfully, the video and the marketing for “Montero” are more ostentatiously gay than the song, many of whose lyrics-“Romantic talkin’? You don’t even have to try/ You’re cute enough to fuck with me tonight”-are as all-purpose as, if more foulmouthed than, prior generations of hits. 1 hits, from “ Dancing Queen” to “ I Will Survive,” “ Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” to “ Vogue,” “ I’m Too Sexy” to “ Believe,” the LGBTQ-adopted message was either accidental, implied with a wink, or made all-purpose for the straight world.* And most of the other, more “out” hits that typically make pride playlists, like “ Y.M.C.A.,” “ You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” “ It’s Raining Men,” “ Relax,” and “ Finally,” fell short of the No. Lil Nas X’s intent with this new single was made clear the day before the song and its trolling video arrived, when he posted a soul-baring, deeply moving letter to his younger, more fearful, deeply closeted self on Instagram.Ī post shared by Lil Nas X is therefore arguable that “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” is the most openly gay song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it’s certainly the first such song to debut on top. This comes less than two years after his momentous coming out on the last day of Pride Month 2019.
And while he is definitely leaning into the LOLz, Montero also seriously sees “Montero,” his purposefully self-titled single-paired with a parenthetical allusion to Call Me by Your Name, the gay coming-of-age novel turned award-winning film-as an emblem of his uncloseted freedom. (You can play it in your browser now!) As cheeky-literally-as twerking is as a metonym for Lil Nas X’s current hit, it has also emerged as a symbol of gay pride and even protest. Lil Nas X is leaning hard into this symbolism, upping the ante with the release this week of, I kid you not, a “Twerk Hero” video game. Lil Nas X’s climactic twerk-cum–lap dance for the Prince of Darkness himself in the song’s music video has drawn the lion’s share of media coverage since it dropped two weeks ago. 18 February 2021.Dude understands branding.
If you want people to know your sexual identity, go ahead and tell them.
I hope you can understand and support me." Since I realized this, I’m feeling really happy and excited about falling in love. Say, "I love you, so I want to share something important with you. When you tell your parents, it might help to bring educational resources for parents who have queer children.Tell them, "Have you ever noticed that I always notice hot guys? That’s because I’m gay." For instance, you might start with your best friend.X Research source X Expert Source Marissa Floro, PhDĬounseling Psychologist Expert Interview. Then, slowly tell the other people who are important to you. When you’re ready, tell someone you trust about your sexual orientation, like a family member, friend, or teacher. At the same time, being out and proud may help you feel like you’re being true to yourself. Your sexual identity is personal, so you don’t owe anyone an explanation. There’s no right or wrong way to come out.